2of4Rice University president David Leebron and his family live in the historic Wiess house, which has been restored and remodeled.Photo: E. Joseph Deering, Staff

3of4Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a luncheon for the Economic Club of New York in New York, Thursday, Sept. 15, 2016. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)Photo: Seth Wenig, STF

4of4A student arrives to find the doors locked at the ITT Technical Institute campus in the 2900 block of South Gessner Road in Houston, Texas on Sept. 6, 2016. Nationwide, ITT Educational Services shut down all campuses after the U.S. Department of Education forbade the school system from taking in students who received federal financial aid.Photo: James Nielsen/Houston Chronicle

Welcome back to Friday’s Texas higher education roundup, where we’ve got another slate of college rankings, University of Houston's record enrollment and a Trumpian dilemma for college Republicans. Let's dive in.

Rice University jumped to No. 15 in this year’s U.S. News & World Report national rankings, but other Texas universities slipped a few spots. Check out the full slideshow here.

Takeaway from Tuesday’s joint hearing with the House higher education and veterans affairs committees: Universities want the state to either absorb millions of dollars in higher education benefits for veterans and their dependents, or limit who can access the money.

Nearly 70 percent of University of Houston freshmen signed up for UH in 4, which allows students to lock into fixed tuition, if they follow a four-year graduation plan. (Are you a UH in 4 student? Drop me a line. Email address below.)

Community colleges locally have seen interest from former ITT Technical Institute students.

From the Texas Tribune: A “kinder, gentler” Aggie Corps is ready for the 21st century.

University of Texas at Austin President Gregory Fenves delivered a “State of the University” address Tuesday (full text here). The system flagship will funnel $15 million in financial aid to students from middle-income families and plans to add 50 new faculty positions over the next several years.

Lindsay Ellis covers higher education at the Houston Chronicle, where she has worked since August 2016. Previously, she covered business news at the Times Union in Albany, N.Y., with internships at The Wall Street Journal and The Chronicle of Higher Education. She grew up in Boston and studied nonfiction writing and history at Dartmouth College.